January 27, 2023 | The Telegraph
Putin is fighting another secret war – one dangerously ignored by the West
Russia is engaged in propaganda battles around the world, but it is in the Balkans where his efforts are truly paying off
January 27, 2023 | The Telegraph
Putin is fighting another secret war – one dangerously ignored by the West
Russia is engaged in propaganda battles around the world, but it is in the Balkans where his efforts are truly paying off
Excerpt
While the world is focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s propaganda operations are still global in nature. From South America to Africa, Russian agitators are working to destabilise and undermine governments it sees as unhelpful to Moscow’s objectives. The influence of these operations surfaced briefly at the Australian Open, where Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic’s father was filmed posing with pro-Russian demonstrators, and reportedly saying “long live the Russians”.
This is no surprise to long-time watchers of the region. Putin has made a particular point of inflaming tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, drawing Belgrade closer into Moscow’s orbit. Now, three decades after the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia, recent clashes between Serbia and Kosovo have reignited lingering ethnic tensions and stirred unease in the West.
Ivana Stradner is a Research Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. You can hear her interview on Russian propaganda on the Telegraph’s daily podcast ‘Ukraine: The Latest’ here. Follow her on Twitter @ivanastradner. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.